The Poll: PC sales

Personal computer sales have been slumping for some time thanks to the rise of tablets, but recent reports from the first quarter of the year are showing just how deep the problem is.

According to International Data Corp., first-quarter shipment of PCs fell 14 percent worldwide from the same time last year, the biggest quarterly drop since the firm started tracking the industry in 1994.

In fact, PC sales have now fallen from their year-ago levels in four consecutive quarters.

Experts say PC costs compared to tablets are the cause of the drop – PCs sells for $500 to $1,000 compared to a smartphone that costs as little as $99 or tablets that typically sell for $200 to $300.

And tablets are catching up in shipments, as well. More than 300 million PCs are expected to be sold worldwide this year while the number of tablets is nearing 200 million. Smartphone sales are expected to top 1 billion this year.